GREEN BAY, Wis. -- The Green Bay Packers will place running back DuJuan Harris on injured reserve Tuesday after the second opinion he received on his injured knee indicated damage to his patellar tendon, which holds the kneecap in place.

It's expected Harris will be out for the season, although Packers coach Mike McCarthy said the team has yet to discuss possibly labeling him with its one injured reserve designated to return.

The 5-7, 203-pound back was expected to be a heavy part of the Packers' revitalized running offense this season after providing a jolt upon his promotion from the practice squad last Dec. 1.

Harris said he probably would require surgery but wasn't certain about the specifics. After starting training camp on the physically unable to perform list, Harris exited in the second quarter of his preseason debut during Friday's 17-10 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.

The injury appeared to happen when a helmet hit the knee at the conclusion of a screen pass, but Harris said it had started swelling before that.

"That's the main thing that hurts, watching those guys go out there to battle and I can't go out there with them," Harris said. "I've still got the same hunger. I'll still keep the same attitude and everything. Just after the surgery, I've just got to work my butt off to get back to 100%, and when I do, you'll see me again.

"It's definitely not ending my career or anything like that. Don't think everything is over, because it's not."

Harris, who is a week shy of his 25th birthday, rushed for 157 yards and two touchdowns on 34 regular-season carries in four regular-season games in 2012 (4.6 yards a carry) and started both of the team's playoff games.

The Packers will have to go back to the drawing board with fourth-round rookie Johnathan Franklin and veterans Alex Green and James Starks expected to get additional work in Thursday's preseason finale against the Kansas City Chiefs.

"We still have a stable, and those guys are doing a good job," Harris said. "I know we've been having a little tough preseason so far, but it's preseason and we'll get all that stuff out of the way. I see those guys running pretty strong this year."

Neither Harris nor Packers coach Mike McCarthy knew if the organization would slap the first-year running back with the team's one return from injured reserve designation, but that appears unlikely at this point.

This will hurt the Packers' plans to establish a revitalized rushing offense -- after the Pack already took a step back against the Seahawks' formidable front line. Green Bay rushed for 32 yards on 18 carries.

Not counting a lateral pass to Eddie Lacy that went for minus-6 yards, Harris, Lacy and fullback John Kuhn combined for 6 yards on 11 carries running behind the first-team offensive line.

And now Harris is gone.

Packers players and coaches were quick to caution after Monday's practice that it's still the preseason and summer stat sheets don't go far in determining December outcomes.

However, the quiet performance served as a lesson that there are no shortcuts for rewiring a running game that ranked 20th in the NFL in 2012 and hasn't averaged 4.0 yards a carry since 2010.

"I think if you would've asked anyone on the offensive side, we have to run the ball better," running backs coach Alex Van Pelt said. "They didn't do a good enough job upfront lead blocking as fullbacks. We have to clean that up and be more physical up front and move some people out of the way."

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Josh Bellamy (8) is congratulated by tight end Kevin Brock (46) during the second half of the game against the Green Bay Packers at Arrowhead Stadium.
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New York Jets tight end Konrad Reuland (88) fumbles after being hit by Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Emmanuel Acho (53) during the first half of a preseason game at Metlife Stadium.
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San Diego Chargers running back Ryan Mathews (24) leaps towards the end zone prior to scoring a touchdown in the first quarter against the Arizona Cardinals during a preseason game at University of Phoenix Stadium.
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Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald (11) is tackled by San Diego Chargers cornerback Marcus Gilchrist (38) in the second quarter during a preseason game at University of Phoenix Stadium.
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New York Jets quarterback Geno Smith (7) scrambles in his own end zone out of bounds against the New York Giants during the second quarter of a preseason game at MetLife Stadium.
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Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Brian Leonard (30) is stopped at the one yard line by Miami Dolphins inside linebacker Dannell Ellerbe (59) in the first quarter at Sun Life Stadium.
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New York Jets tight end Jeff Cumberland (87) celebrates with Mark Sanchez (6) after catching a pass for a touchdown in the first quarter of a preseason game against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field.
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Detroit Lions wide receiver Matt Willis (12) catches a pass in the end zone for a touchdown while being defended by New York Jets running back Chad Spann (30) in the second quarter of a preseason game at Ford Field.
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New England Patriots running back Shane Vereen (34) makes a touchdown catch against the Philadelphia Eagles during the first half of a preseason game at Lincoln Financial Field.
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Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3) scrambles out of the pocket for a short gain during the first half against the San Diego Chargers at Qualcomm Stadium.
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Dallas Cowboys running back Phillip Tanner (34) runs with the ball after losing his helmet in the second quarter of the 2013 Pro Football Hall of Fame game against the Miami Dolphins at Fawcett Stadium.
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Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill (17) is sacked by Dallas Cowboys defensive end Ben Bass (79) in the first quarter of the 2013 Pro Football Hall of Fame game at Fawcett Stadium.
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Although the Packers are rushing for 3.1 yards a carry in the preseason — second worst in the league — there's still more than what meets the eye from Van Pelt's point of view.

"You have to be able to be effective to do it rather than running into the wall," Van Pelt said. "Never to make an excuse, but these preseason games we're looking at scheme and not scheming the defense. We're looking at what we do. A lot of the stuff isn't maybe what you will see in the regular season. We're evaluating guys with basic schemes right now. We're really not trying to game plan a defense. Hopefully, that will improve."

Hodkiewicz also writes for the Green Bay Press-Gazette, a Gannett Property